The Good News!
It’s July 30, 2020, when I’m writing this. Coronavirus is in full swing in the U.S., and especially in Arizona (where we’re holed up), because the state reopened too soon. Our family has stayed locked down, even as the rest of the state opened, because math.
That’s not the good news. Here’s the good news: As of yesterday, I finished writing my 5th steamy romance novel, titled, Fake It.
That means I reached part of the goal!
In order to have FIVE books PUBLISHED on Amazon before we leave for Italy (mid-August), I’d need to have my 5th one written by August 1. CHECK! DONE! Crack open the pink champagne!
The Other News About the Goal…
I won’t call it “bad” news because that would be a shitty affirmation.
You see… once I’m done writing my books (the process includes my writing the book, and then I go through about four rounds of edits on my own), I then pass the book to my editor.
And, you see, right now my editor is working on my 4th book, Sweet as Pie, which I’m happy to announce will be on Amazon in another week or so.
What does this mean?
It means my 5th book will get published in August… BUT not before we get on the plane back to Italy.
So, a worthy effort and we almost did it!
It required intense focus on my part, and here’s what I learned.
When I focus, like laser beams, my word count goes up.
What did “focus like laser beams” mean for me? It meant not checking book sales. It meant not checking email more than twice a day. It meant not getting on social media except 2-3 times a week. It meant Go Go Go! All day, every day.
I also learned through the process that the intense focus gave me more time in my schedule, either to relax or do even more work. By focusing so strongly, I reached my word counts earlier in the day.
But…
It also created a bit more stress. It’s easy to get obsessed when you’re pursuing goals and want to crack the whip on yourself and everyone around you.
I liken it to driving a car. If I drive fast, I have to be extra careful on turns and not to crash. With greater speed comes greater responsibility — something like that.
I managed it though with meditation and self-talk. I remembered the roses and forced myself not to only see the mountain in the distance.
What’s next for me?
For the next week, I won’t be writing my next book! (Book #6 is churning in my mind, though!)
I am blogging, reading-reading-reading, editing my non-fiction book, Coffee Self-Talk (it describes one of the main reasons I’m even able to write fiction!), writing an email newsletter to my Happy Sexy Millionaire Tribe (you can sign up under my bio over there –>), and I’ll dive into placing ads on Amazon for my books, as well as reaching out to bloggers to see if they’d like review copies.
Goal: Getting Reviews
One of the most important things for authors is getting reviews. If you have read any of my books, whether carnivore books by K. Suzanne, or my Brisa Starr romance novels, I’d be truly grateful if you’d leave me a review.
I’ve also started to become active on GoodReads, which is another place that is helpful for leaving reviews and stars. I’m under the author name Brisa Starr over there, so if you’re there, too, let’s be friends!
Future blog posts — coming soon — 1) update on our return to Italy, 2) 3 Ways I Add Glitter to My Life, and 3) The Magic of the Phrase “I Prefer.”
If you’d like to check out my romance novels… Lockdown Love (opposites attract, romantic comedy, medical romance). His Secret (billionaire romance). Save Me (friends to lovers, medical romance)
I’ll leave you with a great quote from the author of Atomic Habits (this book just made the #1 spot on the NYT Bestseller list). I highly recommend it!
“What looks like a talent gap is often a focus gap.
The ‘all star’ is often an average to above average performer who spends more time working on what is important and less time on distractions.
The talent is staying focused.”
James Clear (weekly email newsletter)
See you later!
